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On the morning of April 19, 1775, the landscape of the North American
continent
would be forever changed. A revolution began between the colonists,
that were
currently inhabiting this land that migrated over from Europe, and the
British empire. King George
had finally pushed the colonists a bit too far. Just over 225 years
ago,
that still mysterious shot 'heard around the world' was fired on the
green in
Lexington, Massachusetts, putting in motion a series of events that we
now
refer to as the American Revolution. A time in our country's history
that would
shape the strengths, beliefs and landscape of this continent, even to
this very
day.

So please, take a moment, and explore a bit of our country's heritage
and
learn about the Menotomy Minute Men. Many will tell you that the most
important
encounters of that now infamous day took place in Concord and
Lexington,
Massachusetts. Unfortunately, that's not quite true. A good portion
of the
fighting was actually done in the small village of Menotomy, now
currently named
Arlington, Massachusetts. It was in the village of Menotomy that
local minute men,
joined by those from towns as far away as Danvers, engaged in combat
with the retreating column
of British solders under the command of Lord Percy as they tried to
make it back
to Boston. Jason Russell, a local of the village, gave the ultimate
sacrifice along with
numerous other towns folk as they made a last ditch effort to thwart
off the
British column at Russell's home.

Who are the Menotomy Minute Men?

In colonial days, Menotomy (Meh-NOT-o-mee, from the Indian word for "swift running
water") was the second precinct of Cambridge, on the road west to
Concord and Menotomy's Minute Men under Captain Benjamin Locke were the
first to answer Revere's midnight alarum. Later that day, when the
British were forcing their way back from Concord and Lexington toward
Boston and passed through Menotomy for the second time, it became "...
the bloodiest half-mile of all the Battle Road." More redcoats and
patriots were killed and wounded in Menotomy that day than in all other
towns combined. Long overlooked Menotomy, now Arlington, is where the
action really was on April 19, 1775.

The present day Menotomy Minute Men organized in 1971 to "perpetuate
the memory and achievements" of their town's Minute Men in 1775 and
adopted the shield shown as their distinguishing emblem as well as a
graphic representation of their community's heritage. The outline is, of
course, from a traditional tavern sign of which there were several in
Menotomy including Tuft's, Copper's and The Black Horse. Eleven stars
below the ancient name recall the eleven Old Men of Menotomy who
intercepted a British wagon convoy headed for Concord that morning and
so seized "the first prisoners and stores to be taken as a result of
forcible attack in the Revolution." The tri-corn hat symbolizes the
minute men and militia of 1775, the musket recalls their crude weapons,
and the powder horn denotes their limited supplies and meager resources.

The lower three stars commemorates three Menotomy men who perished in
the town that day: Jason Russell, Jason Winship, and Jabez Wyman. April 6
set the date in 1775 in which Reverend Samuel Cook, preaching
especially for the Menotomy Minute Company, exhorted them "to defend our
rights, dearer to us than our lives." It is also the date in 1971, on
which the Selectmen of Arlington, by proclamation, called for "the
mustering anew of our ancient militia to be known as The Menotomy Minute
Men." The shield itself appears on the flag on The Menotomy Minute Men
and was designed by the wife of a member.

Membership in the Menotomy Minute Men is open to all who would like to
celebrate and recreate the spirit of 18th century life and the deeds of
America's first heroes. The company represents the people of Arlington (
then Menotomy ) of the 1775 period.

The company is an active group, participating in Battle Reenactments,
Parades, Living History Programs, and Fife & Drum Musters. Menotomy
is a family organization.

Each month the company holds a meeting at the Jason Russell House. We
meet the second Wednesday of the month at 7:30pm, with the exception of
the month of July, in which there is no meeting (please see the calendar). If you'd like to stop
by, you are more than welcome to attend.